Mycenae

In the second millennium BC, Mycenae was one of the major centers of Greek civilisation.  It dominated much of southern Greece, the Cycladitic islands, Crete and the western Anatolia.  At its peak in 1350 BC, the Citadel and the lower town had a population of 30,000.

With 3 of my children in front of the famous Lion Gate. 

Francesco Grimani in 1700 identified the ruins of Mycenae based on Pausanias' description.

Mycenae's Acropolis and surrounding countryside.  The German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890) excavated Mycenae and nearby Tiryns.  Schliemann is considered as the modern discoverer of prehistoric or Bronze Age Greece. 

Grave circle, in the cemetery, inside Mycenae's citadel.

Wild cyclamens growing in the sun-parched fields of Mycenae's palace.

Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, conducted the 10 year war against Troy, to get beautiful Helen back to his brother Menelaus.  Legend tells us that the long and arduous war divided mortals and gods alike, and contributed to curses and vengeance that followed many of the Greek heroes.  After the war Agamemnon returned to Mycenae and although he was greeted warmly by his subjects, he was slayed by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegistheus.

 The heroes of the Trojan war inspired many writers in antiquity, Homer being the pre-eminent of all, as well as many poets in recent times among whom the American poet Louise Gluck who won the 2020 Nobel price for Literature.  Her emblematic poem on Achilles and her work according to Anders Olsson, Chairman of Nobel Committee,  is "deceptively natural, candid and uncompromising, with no trace of a poetic ornament".

The Triumph of Achilles

In the story of Patroclus

no one survives, not even Achilles

who was near god.

Patroclus resembled him; the wore

the same armor.

Always in these friendships

one serves the other, one less than the other;

the hierarchy

is always apparent, though the legends 

cannot be trusted

their source is the survivor,

the one who has been abandoned.

What were the Greek ships on fire

compared to this loss?

In his tent, Achilles

grieved with his whole being

and the gods saw

he was a man already dead, a victim

of the part that loved,

the part that was mortal.

Achilles tending Patroclus, identified in inscriptions on a vase.  Attic red-figure kylix, ca 500 BC

Achilles Island

The dying Achilles (Αχιλλεας θνησκων), a marble statue in the grounds of Achillion Palace, in the island of Kerkyra, raises the question to where Achilles the bravest of all Greeks was buried after he was killed in the Trojan War.  

In this Attic lekythos c. 510 BC we see Ajax carrying the body of Achilles.  It is exhibited at Staatliche Antikensammlungen in Munich. 

Although there are many sites claiming to be Achilles’ tomb, we have a credible story by Captain Kritzikly, who in 1824 visited the island of Leuke and discovered the ruins of a temple in which a wooden statue of Achilles was found.  Captain Kritzikly drew a map of the temple and described his findings in detail. 

In 1840s the island was visited again.  Unfortunately a lighthouse was built in the same spot and resulted in the complete destruction of the temple and the surrounding structures. (Image from Wikiwands)

The experts agree that there were many temples dedicated to Achilles on Leuke in the 6^th century BC.  Did the construction many temples on Leuke meant to honor Achilles or was it because he was buried in one of them?  Nobody knows as Achilles and Ajax likely were buried near Troy as Nestor tells Telemachus “so many battles round King Pram’s walls we fought, so many gone, our bravest and best fell.  There Ajax lies, there Achilles too, the greatest man of war. (Homer’s Odyssey Book Three 119-122), and this is why the “seabirds dip their wings in the water to sweep the temples clean”.  

Dawn of a New Day and a New Year

The games were over now. The gathered armies scattered,
each man to his fast ship, and fighters turned their minds
to thoughts of food and the sweet warm grip of sleep.

But Achilles kept on grieving for his friend,
the memory burning on . . .
and all-subduing sleep could not take him,
not now, he turned and twisted, side to side,
he longed for Patroclus' manhood, his gallant heart.

What rough campaigns they'd fought to an end together,
what hardships they had suffered, cleaving their way
through wars of men and pounding waves at sea.

The memories flooded over him, live tears flowing,
and now he'd lie on his side, now flat on his back,
now facedown again. At last he'd leap to his feet,
wander in anguish, aimless along the surf, 

until dawn appeared with her rosy finger flaming over the sea and shore 

would find him pacing.

 from Homer’s Iliad Book XXIV 

Parker Solar Probe acquired the first ever photo taken from inside the sun’s corona. The bright streak is a coronal streamer. Up to now, all photos of the sun have been taken from a great distance, either from ground or from telescopes in space given the sun’s extreme heat. The sun is a magnificent, hot, glowing ball of gas with its enormous hot plasma and bright coronal streamers streaking out into the surrounding blackness that matches Homer’s magnificent descriptions of sun’s rays at Dawn in both the Iliad and Odyssey. 

Today, at the dawn of the New Year, my favorite description of Dawn by Homer is… Dawn appeared with her rosy fingers.  I wish you all a Happy New Year.

Summer races II; Lavrio-Patroclos-Lavrio

The race from Lavrio around Cape Sounion to Patroclus and back to Lavrio, a distance of approximately 20 nm, took place on Saturday June 26, 2016.  The annual offshore race was organized by the Nautical Club of Lavrion. 

Patroklos (Greek: Πατροκλος) is an islet approximately 3 nautical miles from Cape Sounion.  Although the islet got its name in antiquity, it is not known why it was called Patroklos.  Similarly, the nature of the friendship between Achilles, the bravest of the Greeks, and Patroclus is also not known.  Patroclus and Achilles grew up together.  Patroclus acted as a male role model for Achilles, as he was both older and wiser acting as his counsel.  Some authors in the classical period and in modern times have suggested that their relation was homosexual.  Others believe that their strong bond was what is commonly observed among comrades during wartime.  Because the friendship between Achilles and Patroclus features prominently in the Iliad I would like to clarify for those not familiar with the Greek  language the words εταιρος and φιλος Homer is using to describe the friendship between Achilles and Patroclus point towards a strong, bond commonly encountered among brothers-in-arms.  

Homer's epic poem Iliad is the most famous narrative of Achilles' deeds in the Trojan War.  Achilles' wrath is the central theme of the poem. The Homeric epic begins with Achilles' withdrawal from the battle after Agamemnon dishonors him. Agamemnon has abducted the daughter of Chryses, a priest of Apollo, and refuses to return her to Achilles.  Agamemnon refusal enrages Apollo who sends the plague amongst the Greeks.  
Achilles' most notable feat during the Trojan War was the slaying of the Trojan hero Hector, following the killing of Achilles’s friend Patroclus.

Triumphant Achilles dragging Hector's lifeless body in front of the Gates of Troy from a fresco in the main hall of Achilleion. 

It was on a sunny day with strong northerly 25 knots winds gusting to 35 knots.  It is noteworthy that one of the boats got dismasted in the upwind leg of the course.  Okyrhoe, our boat was first at the finish line, on elapsed and corrected times (results).  The movie was recorded and produced by our friend Alexander Syrris who sailed with us on that day and played a dual role that of the cinematographer and also a crewmember who offered incalculable assistance during critical moments of the race.